


Under Your Spell

by negiramen



Category: Infinite (Band)
Genre: M/M, dont expect smut, his dimples are the cutest, myungsoo is a shapeshifter, sunggyu has a weakness for animals in need, sungyeol is an idiot in a cute way, there might be someone naked tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-24
Updated: 2016-04-24
Packaged: 2018-06-04 05:00:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6642289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/negiramen/pseuds/negiramen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sunggyu has freshly graduated from the School of Magic, but for some reason no familiar has chosen him as a partner yet. On his way home, he stumbles upon a cat in trouble and helps out. Little did he know who the cat really was...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Under Your Spell

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt:**
> 
> **aside from dragons, cats are the only creatures able to draw magic from their surroundings, which is why every witch and wizard keeps one around. sunggyu is a freshly graduated wizard who has just founded his own detective agency. he has no idea the cat he has picked up on his way home is actually a shapeshifter, wanted by a dangerous organization for his unique magical powers.**

"Today is a big day for you. You will leave this school behind and become treasured members of this society."

The 100 students looked at their headmaster quietly, their heads raised in pride. No one spoke a word, although they used to be so loud in class.

"For 7 years you've attended this school. You have learned everything there is to know about magic, including the responsibilities that come along with this power. As you leave this school behind, I ask of you not to forget the things you've learned. It's a privilege to be one of the chosen to have learned the arts of magic. Don’t abuse the power and knowledge you've been given. People will try to make you use your powers for the wrong reasons and someday you might feel the urge to give in, but remember that magic does not make you superior to normal humans. We're all equal."

It was the beginning of a long speech, one they had heard from the headmaster many many times before. Still, the students remained still and quiet, some shifted impatiently from one foot to the other but no one danced out of their row. They knew how serious this talk was. There had been witches and wizards in the past who had used their powers for bad things. Some had wanted the "race of magicians" to rule the earth again. There were whispers of some groups still trying to achieve exactly that. It was the students’ responsibility now to protect the humans who had no power from those who abused their magic.

"I shall start reading out your names now. When I call your name, please step forward onto the stage to receive your certificate and badge, then state your future occupation. After you step down again, please proceed to the field behind the school. There, trainers are waiting for you with your future partners."

Partners as in cats. Only dragons and cats were able to extract magical energy from their surroundings, a skill not even humans could master. Witches and wizards only had a limited amount of magic and when that was used up, they were powerless; hence the need for familiars. Dragons were pretty much impossible to get; there were only a few left and they chose a new wizard or witch very rarely. So most of the magical community owned a cat - or the cat owned them.

Sunggyu snapped from his daydreaming when a loud shout broke the serenity of the festive moment. "A WITCH?"

"Is there a problem, Mr. Lee?"

He eyed the tall, lanky boy on stage. Sunggyu had seen him on the campus before. He was quite a loud one. "It says witch on my certificate!"

The headmaster raised her left eyebrow. "Witch is a gender-neutral term, Sungyeol."

"B-But I wanted to become a wizard! Like Harry in the books!"

A few chuckles could be heard in the crowd. Sunggyu sighed internally because the other student was slowing the whole graduation ceremony down.

"Sungyeol, your application said witch. You’ve visited every course for potion making and curses; courses, only witches attend. I'm sure you were well aware of that fact." She explained patiently.

"I- I thought that was part of becoming a great wizard! Just like Harry-"

_ Seven years and he only notices that he took the wrong courses now? _ , Sunggyu wondered.

"I assure you being a witch is a respectable job as well. You've done excellent in all your classes, so I have no doubt you'll do well. Now go, Lee Sungyeol." The last words were spoken with a firmness that made it clear she'd turn him into a frog or something if he didn't get going and accept his fate.

"What about my future o-"

She silenced him with a glare that could probably freeze hell. Sungyeol dipped his head in disappointment and shuffled away. The ceremony finally continued with no other disturbances.  Sunggyu went up the stage when his name was called and received applause for being the second best in his year. He was a bit angry with himself for only getting second place. First place had been stolen by Nam Woohyun, oh how much he disliked that boy! Sunggyu secretly thought that the younger boy had flirted with the teachers to get into their good graces; but the rational part of him knew Woohyun was first because he was better. Good enough that he was going to be a teacher at the school soon.

"Kim Sunggyu. I will open my own detective agency. I want to specifically resolve cases with magic involved." He stated proudly.

There were a few gasps of surprise and some murmuring. Sunggyu could see how shocked his former teachers were. He had never told a soul about his wish, except for his supportive parents. With his knowledge and intelligence he could technically work in a high position and possibly forge the future of their country, but Sunggyu has no interest in that. He wanted to help the "little" people. Those that were powerless against the supernatural.

"Well, good luck, Sunggyu. You're definitely going to help a lot of people." The headmaster said and her smile showed that she meant her words honestly. She believed Sunggyu could do a lot of good.

He bowed once more and then went down the stage again. Sunggyu left the big hall like everyone else had before him. Behind the school, a small group of students had gathered, some already walking away with their cat in tow. Sunggyu felt his excitement triple at the sight of the animals. He was finally a wizard! He'd make his parents proud of him and get a powerful familiar. Some cats could store a lot of magic, while others were quicker with extracting or transmitting it; a select few of them could even do magic by themselves. A powerful witch or wizard always had a strong partner by their side. Knowing a lot of spells was one thing (even normal humans could do that), but if you didn't have the magical resources to perform the spell, it was useless.

"Sunggyu! Are you done? Ready to meet your new partner?" A familiar voice asked. It was his aunt Sohee. She was a nice woman who taught the students everything there was to know about familiars.

He nodded nervously. She patted his shoulder. "Some of my strongest haven't chosen a new master yet. I'm sure one of them will pick you. Go on forward."

It was never the witch or the wizard who chose the cat. Just as it was with dragons, magical cats also chose their own master. Sunggyu anxiously walked closer. The cats were all strewn over the grass field. Some were lying lazily on the floor, others were sitting and scanning the students quietly, and a few strolled around to sniff the humans or rub against their legs, only to go on their way a moment later.

Sunggyu walked around without a clue what to do. He kept walking towards the cats but they'd turn away or run from him. It was quite discouraging. He even tried some spells to get their attention but they treated him like something contagious.

His aunt came over to him, a relatively big black cat in her arms. "Dante, what do you think about my nephew?"

The cat let out a long hiss and jumped out of her arms. Sunggyu sighed. "None of them like me."

Sohee tried to encourage him. "This isn’t the end, we’ll find one for you. Maybe in another country."

Sunggyu had never heard of a master and his cat being from different countries. No one had ever walked through this field full of cats without finding their partner; he was the first. He felt a deep emptiness in his chest and his excitement was gone, replaced by resignation and sadness. What was he going to do without a familiar?

"Try a little longer, honey. There are so many cats and students, maybe you overlooked each other."

And so Sunggyu tried for two hours. Students came and left, their new cats with them, throwing him curious looks because he’d left the hall long before they had, but he was still lingering around. Sunggyu gave up eventually. His aunt told him she'd try her best to find a cat for him but Sunggyu wasn't so sure. It's not like any cat could work. All cats had some ability, but most were just simple animals and had no awareness of their power. They wouldn't work.

He headed home with a heavy heart. Usually, Sunggyu took the subway because it was faster, but today he felt like taking the long way home. How was he going to face his parents now? He was a failure! Sunggyu slowly walked down the streets, his head hung low in shame and sadness. Nam Woohyun would surely laugh at him if he knew...

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_ 'Bark! Bark!' _

Sunggyu stopped in his tracks when he heard the sound. There wasn't anything unusual about dogs barking or growling, but something made him stop. He had a really bad feeling. He walked closer to the sound, although the growling was making all of his hairs stand up. He had magic to defend himself but he wasn't invincible.

He glanced around the corner. The small alley was quite dark, but he could see four Rottweilers cornering something much smaller. A weak meow reached him and Sunggyu sucked his lower lip between his teeth. He had promised to protect the weak. That probably included helpless cats. Four against one was pretty unfair too. Sunggyu took a deep breath and concentrated. A flash of light should be enough to scare those dogs.

"Lumis!" He hissed.

A white flash of light appeared out of nowhere in the alley. The dogs yelped and ran past Sunggyu, fleeing from the alley. He smiled, proud of himself, though feeling a little drained after the spell. Wizards and witches needed a lot of time to regenerate their magic energy supply, so they got exhausted easily; part of the reason why a cat was handy.

Sunggyu went into the alley to check on the animal. The cat was clearly injured, some blood was sticking to its fur and one of his legs looked dislocated. He crouched down and the black cat hissed at him. "Hey, I don't want to hurt you. I actually saved your ass, but I guess a street cat can't possibly understand."

The cat narrowed its eyes at him as if it had understood the insult to its intelligence. "If you're not dumb and know I'm no danger, then let me hold you. I'm going to get you home and treat you. I have no magic left to heal you here."

Sunggyu heard a soft purr and smiled shortly. He reached out to touch it and when he did, the young wizard felt something strange. It was like something went into him, almost like a ghost but it didn't feel scary at all. Sunggyu felt it in every pore of his body. It touched his mind and he let go of the cat in shock. The feeling was gone instantaneously. He checked his body again but the invisible force was gone.

"What are you? You're not just a-"

Every hair of his body stood up and it was only thanks to his instincts (and a hiss from the cat) that Sunggyu dodged the fireball in time. It burned the hairs on his neck before clashing against a wall. His heart raced and he stood up quickly to check the other end of the alley. Three hooded figures accompanied by dogs blocked his only exit. Fear grabbed his heart. What the hell had he run into?

One of them stepped forward. "I don't know who you are, brat, but hand the cat over and you can live."

Sunggyu glanced at the animal to his feet. It was trying to stand up but obviously had problems with more than one leg. It looked up at him and the young wizard felt a strange prickle in his head again.

_ 'Help me. I can help you get out of this alive. They'll kill you the instant they have me.’ _

He blinked in shock for a second and then looked at the cat again. How was it possible for the animal to talk to him?

_ 'We can talk later. Don't worry and just use your spells.’ _

"What is it going to be, brat?"

Sunggyu swallowed hard. "No, you can't have him."

"You don't know what you're getting into, boy. This is your last chance."

_ 'They can't do much because of their limited magic resources. Concentrate on taking the demon dogs out first. Use magic with holy attributes like-' _ The voice in his head ordered but Sunggyu interrupted him.

"I know that!" He shouted and lifted his hands. "Sanctum!"

It was a powerful spell that could very well have sent him to the floor unconscious without the support of a familiar, but something gave him the confidence that it was the right thing to do. White lines of magic formed on the floor and the enemies scattered quickly. They obviously hadn't expected Sunggyu to be able to use an large-area spell like that, especially not that quickly. He might not be the most powerful wizard but Sunggyu was quick.

One of the demon dogs died when the white flames shot from the ground. They devoured his body with ease and Sunggyu could see them burn one of the men's legs. The other two dogs barked fiercely and ran straight at Sunggyu. The young wizard quickly raised a shield to protect himself, but with the collision of the first dog, it crumbled. Sunggyu had no time to build another one; he saw the dog going straight for his throat.

Another heavy mass crashed into it at the last moment. It was a giant beast, one Sunggyu had certainly never seen before. It had to be a demon from the other side. The creature was at least 3 meters tall and formed like a bull. It had pierced the dog with one of its horns, killing it instantly. Sunggyu was still stunned and wondering why a demon helped him, when suddenly the bull disappeared. In his spot appeared the black cat.

The last dog lunged at it and Sunggyu reacted instinctively. He shouted another spell and an arrow of light killed the creature. As soon as he spoke the spell, Sunggyu felt like someone had punched him in the stomach. He knew this feeling; he was at his limit.

Sunggyu glanced at the entrance of the ally but the three hooded figures were gone. ' _ They fled because we killed their minions. They're out of magic after chasing me for hours. But we should go before someone else appears.' _

"We?" Sunggyu repeated in disbelief. "I almost died just now! Without even knowing why! What did they want with you?  _ What are you?! _ "

_ 'Listen, when you touched me, we created an unbreakable bond. Which means we have to stay together to survive. They won't leave you alone even if they catch me. I cannot bond with someone else while we are connected. It's the same as when you contract a cat, just...deeper.' _

He stared at the cat. Was it possible? No magical cat had chosen him but some stray on the streets? A stray with quite strange abilities.  _ My luck today really is the worst. _ Sunggyu wasn't sure what the best decision was, but he sure has hell didn't want to wait for more of those guys to appear. Wizards with demonic helpers were a very big danger sign, and a part of him told him the cat was speaking the truth. They had to stay together.

"Fine, let's go." He started walking.

There was a quiet meow.  _ 'Carry me, human.’ _

"The name is Sunggyu. Kim Sunggyu." With a grunt, he picked the cat up. There was a weird tingling feeling under his skin again but less strong than before.

_ 'Myungsoo.' _ The name made him feel warm inside for some odd reason.  _ Myungsoo _ ...His first familiar.

  
  
  
  
  
  


About twenty minutes later, Sunggyu reached his home. Although he wanted to go straight to his room, his parents caught him in the corridor and welcomed him energetically. They told him how proud they were, but Sunggyu was barely paying attention; the shock from the alley was still fresh in his mind. When they saw the cat's injuries, Sunggyu told them there was an accident and that he really, really would like to rest, which they luckily accepted with a mixture of disappointment and worry.

"I can't believe I've lied to my parents for you. I never lie to my parents!" Sunggyu said when they were alone in his room. He locked the door just to be safe.

_ 'I didn't tell you to lie to them.' _ The cat - Myungsoo - replied.

Sunggyu pursed his lips and put the cat on his bed. He looked at the cat's wounds and was surprised at what he found. "Most of your wounds seem to have healed...except for your dislocated leg. We will have to put it back in place."

What kind of cat had strong healing powers like this one? Not to mention it was a telepath  _ and _ could generate and use magic. Spells that altered one's looks  _ and _ form required powerful magic.

_ 'It's okay. I'm ready.' _

Sunggyu grabbed the leg carefully. He had only taken one course on first aid for one semester, so he wasn't 100% sure if he was going to get this right.  _ One quick move, I can do it! _ The young wizard popped the bone back into place and Myungsoo let out a hiss.

"Sorry...Can you move it now?"

The cat stood up slowly and walked a few steps. There was an obvious limp but with its healing abilities, the leg would be better soon.

"So, can you give me answers now? No,  _ give _ me answers. I've risked my life for you and this whole thing has been insane! I just graduated and haven't even opened my detective agency, but I already have a case!"

The cat yawned shortly as if to express how irrelevant all of his human problems were for him. He curled up and put his head on his paws.  _ 'If you want to be a detective, I'm sure you can answer some of those questions yourself.' _

Sunggyu folded his arms and narrowed his eyes at the cat. "I know those guys in the alley were after you. You obviously don't belong with them though. Seeing how those guys used demons as their lackeys, they must be wizards from the underground. Most likely associated with Black Sky."

' _ I'm surprised you know about Black Sky.' _

He felt proud of himself for taking Myungsoo by surprise. Black Sky was an organization of wizards - they called themselves sorcerers - who had abandoned their pledge. They saw themselves as a superior race and the destined rulers of the Earth. There were a many small groups who imitated them, but Black Sky was the most dangerous and well organized. They were notorious for using demons or even the undead, and they had no reservations about murder. Their leader had a black Dragon as a partner, hence the name Black Sky.

"I've heard about them before. We were warned not to deal with them." Sunggyu explained shortly. "So?"

His questions were met with silence. Sunggyu frowned and looked at the cat, but Myungsoo seemed to be asleep. Sunggyu huffed in disbelief. "How dare he fall asleep on my bed!"

The young wizard was burning with questions but he realized there was nothing he could do at the moment. He could wake up Myungsoo but the cat, or whatever he was, needed rest. The healing of his injuries and the magic in the alley had probably put a lot of strain on him.

"Fine...but tomorrow you'll answer my questions." Sunggyu grabbed the first aid kit and took it back to the bathroom.

 

 

 

Afterwards, he went downstairs to talk with his parents and eat dinner. Sunggyu didn't tell them about the incident, not wanting his parents to worry. It was also a great distraction to celebrate his graduation with them; way better than brooding over the problem at hand. If Sunggyu really had started a fight with Black Sky, he'd need to be careful not to drag innocent people into this mess.

"I think I'm going to move into my new apartment a little earlier than planned." Sunggyu announced later that evening.

His mother looked at him in shock. "Is it because of us?"

Sunggyu's father took it with more humor. "Darling, I'm sure it's not us. I bet Sunggyu has just found someone and wants some time...alone. Without us watching.”

He winked at Sunggyu and the latter forced himself to smile. So his father thought he was dating and needed the space alone because of that. Well, that was certainly better than them knowing about Sunggyu battling it out with Black Sky.

"How soon are you going to move out?" His mother asked, the same worried expression still stuck on her face. Sunggyu knew she was hesitant to let him go.

  
"Well...tomorrow?" It was more of a question than an actual answer.   
  
Her eyes widened. "Tomorrow already? Are you sure everything is alright, Sunggyu?"   
  
Sometimes it was disadvantageous how sharp his mother's mind was. Different to his father who was an easy-going and trusting man. "I'm okay, mom. I just think a detective shouldn't live with his parents anymore and I think I already have my first case at hand, so I need my office and everything ready. We've moved most of my stuff already, so I could move in there any day."   
  
His father nodded in agreement. "It's your decision. You're an adult now, Sunggyu. With 22 you go your own path and not ours."   
  
"Thanks, dad. Mom?"   
  
She looked unhappy with his decision but forced herself to smile. "As long as you call us from time to time. And if you need help, don't hesitate to contact us."   
  
"Of course." Sunggyu gave her a reassuring smile.   
  
"And don't forget to eat! But don't just cook instant food! Remember when you cook rice-"   
  
"Moooom..." He whined. "I know! I won't starve, don't worry. If I have any problems, I'll call you immediately, I promise."   
  
She pursed her lips in worry but finally nodded. Sunggyu figured it was normal for a mother to worry when her child moved out of the house. He didn't know about the other dads, but his father was quite cool with it. He understood that people at Sunggyu's age wanted their own space. Even without the alley incident, Sunggyu would've moved out. It was just a bit earlier than planned now. He loved his parents, the free food and doing his laundry was awesome, but Sunggyu had wanted to try living on his own anyways. He had to learn to survive on his own or he'd be screwed when his parents someday needed his help.   
  
When dinner was finished and everything else sorted out, Sunggyu returned to his room. Myungsoo was still peacefully sleeping on his bed, so asking him anything was still impossible. He sighed and stripped himself. Sunggyu slipped into his nightwear, dark boxers and a wide shirt. Then he carefully grabbed the cat and placed it further up the bed, next to his pillow. Myungsoo didn't wake up and just continued sleeping. Sunggyu felt his fingertips prickle when he let go of him. He figured it had to be the magic energy underneath Myungsoo's skin that was making his skin tingle so often.   
  
He thought of some way to make sure Myungsoo didn't run away, but it wasn't like he had a leash or something at hand. Someone of the cat's caliber could probably escape anyways, if he was determined to do so. Sunggyu had no way to force him to stay. Maybe his life would be better if the cat ran away, but the young wizard didn't want Myungsoo to go. He wanted to help him, even if it was dangerous, because that was the job of a detective.   
  
Sunggyu turned the lights off and slipped under the blanket. He grabbed his phone to check his messages, something he always did before he went to sleep. There was a Facebook notification and he groaned. Someone from his school had tagged him in a post, calling him out for not getting a cat familiar today. The comments were mixed but he felt like murdering everyone who laughed at him. His eyes fell on Myungsoo's form and Sunggyu opened his camera app. He'd show those guys who was a loser- but then he remembered how Myungsoo had landed in his hands. There were people out there hunting him. Sunggyu couldn't post a picture of Myungsoo, that would be like lighting a flare and saying "Here he is!"'.   
  
He sighed and turned his phone off.  _ Let them laugh now. I'm going to be the last one laughing. _ Sunggyu closed his eyes and pressed his face into the pillow. Tomorrow was going to be a long day. He'd definitely make Myungsoo talk. Maybe things weren't only bad. He had a familiar now, a strong one at that. They just needed to get rid of the people chasing after Myungsoo first.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sunggyu groaned into his pillow. His alarm was ringing and he felt annoyed by it, but he was unable to will his body to move. He was too tired to even open his eyes and his limbs felt so heavy. Actually, his whole body seemed heavy and it was annoyingly hot. The young wizard groaned again and tried to push  the blanket away. It didn't work though. Why was his blanket so heavy?  _ Fuck...I'm sweating to death... _ He tried again with all of his strength and the blanket moved, but it didn't leave. It just wrapped itself tighter around Sunggyu's body.   
  
"What the-" He opened his eyes and then froze in shock.   
  
There was a man hugging him. A man in his bed hugging him. A  _ NAKED _ man was in his bed and pressing against him with quiet purrs. No wonder his blanket had felt strangely warm and heavy. Sunggyu pushed the stranger away with a yelp. "WHO THE HECK ARE YOU?"   
  
The man awoke with a groan upon hitting the hard floor face first. He sat up slowly and looked around half asleep. Sunggyu grabbed the lamp from his nightstand to defend himself. "I've asked who you are! How dare you sneak into my bed and take off your clothes, you filthy-"   
  
The stranger looked at him and the sight robbed Sunggyu off his breath for a second. What a handsome pervert he was- _ Wait, what did I want to say...? _ "Get out of my room, you pervert!"   
  
"Myungsoo." The black-haired man said.   
  
Sunggyu blinked and then frowned. "What?"   
  
"I'm Myungsoo. Do you have problems with your memory? We met yesterday." The man retorted casually and ran his long fingers through his soft-looking hair. Sunggyu tore his gaze away with some effort.   
  
"Myungsoo is a...cat." The wizard said matter-of-factly. It was too early in the morning to be faced with such problems. Sunggyu found it hard to connect Myungsoo the cat with Myungsoo the frigging naked but hot pervert.   
  
Myungsoo rolled his head around to relax his stiff neck muscles. "I'm a cat sometimes. Other times I'm a human...or a bird. I can be anything. I'm a shapeshifter."   
  
The dark-haired man suddenly stood up and Sunggyu shielded his eyes with his arms. Hands grabbed his shoulders a moment later and for a second he could feel the same tingle as he had experienced with the cat, then his back hit the bed and Sunggyu looked up in fear. Myungsoo was hovering over him, his face dark and serious, fingers harshly digging into Sunggyu's shoulders. The wizard’s heart jumped.   
  
"I have to warn you to keep this secret to yourself. No one must know. If you tell anyone, I'll have to get rid off you."   
  
Sunggyu swallowed hard. He could see that Myungsoo wasn't joking around.  _ So that's why those guys were after him... _ Shapeshifters were rare, maybe even more mythical than dragons. Though some scientists said that the statistics were probably wrong and that it wasn't like there were only a few, they were just perfect at hiding themselves, at least that was a theory. He didn't know much else about them, except for their obvious ability to shift, which made it hard to find them.   
  
A real shapeshifter...in his room. If anyone found out about that, never mind the people chasing Myungsoo, the media and the government would chase him down too. It would be chaos. The government would put him into a lab to examine him in all kinds of ways. Sunggyu felt a strange sense of protectiveness towards Myungsoo. He'd never want harm to come to the shifter, despite Myungsoo threatening to murder him.   
  
"I won't tell anyone." Sunggyu answered finally.   
  
One moment Myungsoo's face was still dark and scary, but in the next moment he smiled widely. Dimples appeared in his cheeks and Sunggyu felt his face grow warm. The black-haired man suddenly closed the distance between their mouths and kissed Sunggyu. He froze in surprise.   
  
His mother chose that moment to enter the room. "OH GOD!"   
  
Sunggyu pushed the shifter away and threw the blanket over him. "Mom! It's not what you think-"   
  
"So your father was right! There is no reason to hide your boyfriend, though! The least you could've done was introduce us before you...you..." She waved her hands around and blushed.   
  
"We didn't have sex! He's not my boyfriend!"   
  
Arms sneaked around his neck and lips touched his skin. A soft purr in his left ear made Sunggyu's hairs stand up. He blushed. "Stop it, Myungsoo!"   
  
The man just rubbed his cheek against Sunggyu's with quiet purrs. He was behaving like a clingy cat! Sunggyu's mother cleared her throat. "I'm going to leave you two alone. I'll prepare breakfast for one more person I guess."   
  
She left and Sunggyu groaned in embarrassment. "Myungsoo!"   
  
The black-haired man pulled away with a sigh. "Sorry. I've been a cat for so long...and always on my own. I'm just happy to have finally found someone."   
  
"You were always alone?"   
  
Myungsoo smiled sadly. "I've tried trusting other humans but...they always ended up betraying me. Everyone is just after my power."   
  
"But you trust me?"   
  
The shifter nodded. "When we touched in the alley, I knew. You're bad at protecting your thoughts, so I could tell you are a good human."   
  
He puffed his cheeks shortly. So he had really felt Myungsoo in his head, back in the alley. "You caught me by surprise! I'll let you know I'm normally very good at guarding my thoughts!"   
  
The shifter smiled - Sunggyu wished he'd really stop that because it made his heart flutter so much. It was unfair that Myungsoo was so good looking, and naked. "Can't you....make some clothes appear as well? Did you copy a naked model or what?"   
  
Myungsoo looked down at his bare body, only his lap still covered by the blanket. "I can only copy organic things. So I can copy humans like you, but I won't have your clothing. For example I can only turn into living things in general not a shoe or a table."   
  
That made sense, although it seemed terribly inconvenient. Sunggyu felt excited. Was he the first human to know this much about shapeshifters? Screw those other students and their snobby cats! Sunggyu had a frigging shapeshifter partner!   
  
"Okay, we need some clothes for you. You can't walk around naked." Sunggyu jumped off the bed and walked to his wardrobe.   
  
"I could always turn back into a cat."  The shifter offered.   
  
Sunggyu pulled out a pair of jeans, boxers, a T-shirt and socks. "My mom is making breakfast for you. She wouldn't let me live if you disappeared again. You gave her the idea we're dating. Maybe we should go with that. It's a good cover for now. Do those guys know this shape of yours?"   
  
"Don't you have the shirt in black?" Myungsoo asked and the wizard rolled his eyes. He exchanged the blue shirt for a black one. "And no, they don't know, at least I don't think so."   
  
Sunggyu turned around while the shifter put on the clothes. A question suddenly came to his mind. "So can you extract magic from your surroundings like cats and dragons? You gave me magic in the alley, right?"   
  
"Yes. I need the energy to shift. I can't do spells like you do, though."   
  
Sunggyu hummed. "Did those guys want you for your shifting ability then?"   
  
"I'm dressed." Myungsoo announced and the wizard turned around again. As expected, the clothes were a little small for someone of his size but he looked stunning. "My shifting is part of it. You know how much Mana a cat can extract from its surroundings in an hour, right?"   
  
Sunggyu nodded. "Between 200 and 500."   
  
A normal spell needed between 100 and 200 Mana, depending on what kind of spell it was. Some may need more or less. An average cat was able to store about 2000 Mana, hence they were all a wizard would need in his daily life. Attack spells for example needed more Mana, though. They ranged from 500 to 2000 Mana, and higher. If you had a cat with low capacity, you could drain her in a flash and if your enemy were still standing, well, you were probably dead.   
  
"I can absorb that energy in a minute."   
  
Sunggyu gapes at him. "A-A minute?"   
  
If that was true, it was no wonder those people were after him like that. Even dragons were about as quick as cats, though their energy storage was much bigger. With Myungsoo's steady magic income, it would be much easier to fight another wizard or work bigger spells. When Sunggyu concentrated, he could feel the air around Myungsoo crackle with magic. _ So much energy.  _ Whoever had the shifter by their side, was incredibly powerful. But Myungsoo had chosen Sunggyu out of all people.   
  
"I'm sure you understand why I need to hide. I do not want to be forced into obeying them. They would use my powers for bad things."   
  
"Are all shapeshifters like you? Can everyone extract such a big amount in short time?"   
  
Myungsoo shrugged. "I don't know."   
  
"Why?" Sunggyu asked carefully. The other man's eyes seemed full of sadness suddenly.   
  
"I've never really met another shifter. My parents, well I don't think they were my real parents, were humans. They treated me well, even when they noticed I wasn't normal, but they couldn't explain shifting to me or how magic worked. There were no proper books about shapeshifters too...I had to learn things myself."   
  
Sunggyu lowered his gaze shortly. He couldn't even start to comprehend how hard that must've been. His parents had taught him everything they knew about magic. To think Myungsoo had had to teach himself everything with just books and personal experience...   
  
"For how long have you been on the run?"   
  
"The first time I was found was at the age of 14. I had messed up. There were students mobbing a friend of mine every day and I thought a little scare would chase them away. Sadly, my friend got scared too. He filmed it and put it online...Police came to our school and then to my home. I ran before they could catch me."   
  
"And then? Have you been on the run ever since?"   
  
"No. I could hide with friends of my parents. I had 6 peaceful years in Japan before those criminals found out about me. I was young and in love back then...but when he needed to clear his debt, Kenchi just tossed me to them like a bargaining chip. He gave them my secrets." The shifter's expression darkened again and Sunggyu saw him balling his fist. Was there a pain greater than being betrayed by the person you love?   
  
"I'm sorry, Myungsoo..."   
  
The black-haired man shook his head. "It's not your fault. Not like you were there back then. Anyways, I fled back to Korea and tried to find my parents, the humans, but I couldn't find a trace of them. About a week ago, I thought I had found a clue, but it had been a trap by those bastards. They caught me and they..." Sunggyu could see him trembling. "They tried to forcefully bind me to one of them, so I'd be forced to obey his every command."   
  
While most wizards had a partnership contract with their cat (or dragon), it was no secret that it was possible to force a familiar to do your bidding. A slave contract, that left the familiar with no choice or freedom. Any wizard doing such a thing was exiled from their organization and prosecuted, so those contracts were only found in criminal organizations.   
  
"Back in the alley, you said we have an unbreakable bond. What does that mean?" Normally, contracts could be undone by either sides, though it was rare for a wizard and familiar to go separate ways.   
  
Myungsoo smiled again. "It means shifters are careful when they choose to agree to the bond. Our connection can only be broken if either of us dies. We have to be really sure before we open ourselves to someone else."   
  
Sunggyu ruffled his hair. He felt somewhat burdened by the fact that Myungsoo had chosen him of all people, but he also felt proud. He was maybe the only wizard bonded to a shapeshifter. Too bad he'd not be able to brag with it.   
  
"I should thank you for your trust then." Sunggyu smiled shortly and stretched out his hand. "We haven't really done the process of the bond in the right order, have we? I'm Kim Sunggyu, freshly graduated wizard from the Magic School. I'm going to open my own detective agency and I'd be honored to be partners with you. In return for your aid I offer you my protection and help in finding your family. I swear to do everything to uncover the truth about your case."   
  
It was usually part of a bond to introduce each other and make an oath. While the oath always differed, it was still a set part of a contract between familiar and wizard. Everything was different with shifters it seemed but Sunggyu still felt the need to take this oath. He'd help reunite Myungsoo and his family, no matter how long it would take, and he'd hide him from the criminals until they could bring them down.   
  
"You wizards and your oaths." Myungsoo chuckled and took his hand. "The name my parents gave me is Kim Myungsoo. I'm a shapeshifter and I accept your oath. In return I swear to protect you too and help with whatever work you have."   
  
They looked at each other awkwardly for a moment, unsure what to do next, but then there was a knock on the door. “Sunggyu! I hope you and your  _ friend _ are dressed now. Come on down for breakfast.”   
  
The shifter let go of his hand. “Finally! I was starting to starve.”   
  
Myungsoo turned to leave already but Sunggyu stopped him one more time. “Wait, before we go down there, we have to agree on a story. Just in case my mom asks any questions. You’re  _ not _ my boyfriend. You’re my future partner at the detective agency. What she saw this morning was just a misunderstanding, okay? You just like to sleep naked...or something.”   
  
The black-haired man shortly pursed his lips but nodded after a moment. “I’ve lived in hiding for a while. I know how to lie, don’t worry.”   
  
They left the room and Sunggyu heaved a sigh.  _ It’s not a lie though... _

**Author's Note:**

> it was fun writing the prompt :3 this might get a sequel one day, because I can imagine writing much more! i hope whoever wished for it will like it too :) it felt refreshing to not just concentrate on a love line and just write a fantasy story :))
> 
> if you guys want more, let me know~


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